Oppose privatisation spree, urges CPI(M)

Centre using COVID-19 as an excuse, says B.V. Raghavulu

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Polit Bureau member B.V. Raghavulu on Sunday alleged that the Centre is using the COVID-19 pandemic as a convenient excuse to hasten the process of privatisation and monetisation of public sector units in order to hand over their assets to ‘crony capitalists like Ambanis and Adanis’.

Addressing a meeting on ‘Current political and economic situation – Responsibilities’, organised by the CPI(M) Greater Visakha City Committee at Kalabharathi on Sunday, Mr. Raghavulu called upon party workers to create awareness among the public on the ‘agenda of the BJP government’ to hand over public assets to corporate groups. In view of the stiff resistance from people to privatisation policies, the Centre has come out with a monetisation proposal to lease public assets to corporate groups on the plea of raising loans, he alleged.

As the ‘strategic sale of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP)’ was being opposed by workers tooth and nail, the Centre is trying to go for partial privatisation like selling coke ovens of the plant, Mr. Raghavulu claimed.